Hassan Bayan, a 23-year-old Syrian judo player, perseveres in his diligent preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games despite facing challenging training conditions caused by the lack of financial support resulting from the prolonged civil war in his country. Bayan began practicing judo at the age of eight, but his training was abruptly halted by the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in March 2011. The training facility he used, the Faiha Stadium in Damascus, became a target in the opposition's bombardment, forcing Bayan to stop his training. After a four-year hiatus, Bayan resumed his training and secured a place in the Syrian national judo team in 2015. In 2022, he clinched a gold medal at the Asian Judo Championships held in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. "Any young person, as long as they are an athlete, would never want to be far away from sports. Of course, my passion for judo has never waned. I have always told my family that it's time to continue my athletic journey. However, due to the Syrian crisis and some reasons at my club, I had to shift my focus more towards academics rather than sports," Bayan said. In 2017, a tragic incident occurred when two mortar shells struck the Faiha Stadium, resulting in the deaths of two athletes who were in training and injuring 20 others. Bayan's coach, Arthur, was among those wounded by shrapnel during the incident. "Unfortunately, two shells landed here on December 15, 2017, triggering a massive explosion that claimed the lives of two athletes and injured nearly 20 others. Fortunately, Hassan was not participating in the training at that time, as he was studying, which spared him from the tragedy," Arthur said. According to the coach, the mats in the stadium had not been replaced in 10 years, there was no air conditioning system, and the sports equipment was also in a state of disrepair. But Bayan had never complained about these challenging conditions. He believed that the biggest obstacle to enhancing his skills was the lack of financial support to participate in international competitions and training camps abroad. "A professional athlete typically needs to participate in international competitions or championships every two months. But in my case, I only have one chance to participate in an international event in a year," Bayan said. Bayan said he must prioritize his academics, but he still carries the dream of winning an Olympic medal. Over the past four years, he has overcome tremendous obstacles by participating in various international competitions to qualify for the Olympics. "Over the past four years, I have dedicated myself to accumulating points with the hope of qualifying for the Olympics. It has always been an ambitious dream of mine. Now that I have secured my place to participate in the Olympics, I am resolute in giving my utmost and putting forth every effort. I hope that I can achieve good results," Bayan said.
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Syrian judo player keeps training for Paris Olympics despite challenging conditions